A reel of a harvesting machine generally includes several carrier tubes. The tubes are radially distanced from a central tube and distributed around the circumference of the central tube. The carrier tubes are supported by corresponding support arms connected to the central tube. The carrier tubes are rotationally supported on the support arms. Furthermore, the reel is rotationally supported around the axis of the central tube. Depending on the width of a cutting table of a harvesting machine, the reel is very long and the carrier tubes are correspondingly long. The carrier tubes carry tines which are arranged and distributed over its length. For example, 40 or more tines are generally attached on a six meter long carrier tube. In a reel with six carrier tubes, there are 240 or more tines arranged along the carrier tube. The tines are generally made from a spring steel wire, such as a rod-like material. The spring properties of the tines are realised by a coil spring portion. The coil spring portion is designed so that the tine can deflect when obstacles, such as earth bulges or larger stones, are present in front of the mowing device. Different embodiments are known for the attachment of the tines on the carrier tube.
DE 198 58 452 A1 describes an arrangement where the carrier tube has one or several longitudinal grooves. The tines have a winding with a bent end which engages the grooves. An end of the winding of a coil spring portion is bent to form a yoke-like portion which engages over the carrier tube. The yoke ends exceed the diameter of the carrier tube and form openings. A screw is passed transversally to the longitudinal axis of the carrier tube for tightening the carrier tube. A disadvantage is that profiled tubes are expensive. The design necessitates tines, made as pairs, which connection portions engage in one of the grooves.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,235 describes a tine arrangement with a double tine having two coil spring portions. A joint attachment in a rotational direction around the longitudinal axis of the carrier tube is achieved by a fixing screw. The screw passes the carrier tube transversally to the extension of the engagement portions of the tines. A disadvantage of this fixing type is that the fixing eyelet is laterally off-set to the engagement portions by the length of the coil spring portion. The eyelet is not arranged on or near the loading line of the engagement portion. Therefore, a rotational loading is produced. Due to the loading, also in the above described embodiment, the coil spring portion is formed extending around the carrier tube.